Hike Description:

This hike explores the northern end of the New Jersey Section of the Palisades Interstate Park. It is, perhaps, the most rewarding loop hike in the park, as it incorporates a number of scenic features and, for nearly the entire distance, you are far away from the noise of the Parkway. But it is also the most difficult hike in the park, as it involves not only steep climbs and descents on uneven rock steps, but also nearly a mile of walking near the shore of the river on jumbled rocks. Make sure you allow enough time to complete the hike before dark, and wear sturdy footwear with rubber soles. Don't attempt the hike if is wet or icy outside.

The hike begins at the northwest corner of the parking area at the State Line Lookout, at a sign for the "Ski Trails." Follow the wide path, marked with the aqua blazes of the Long Path, into the woods. You'll soon reach a junction where the Long Path turns left and Trail A comes in from the left and proceeds ahead. Continue ahead on the wide path. Just beyond, you'll come to another junction. Here, Trail C begins to the right, but you should continue ahead on Trail A. About five minutes into the hike, you'll reach another junction, marked by an old rock monument to the left (the faded words "Shore Path" may be visible). Trail B proceeds ahead, but you should turn left to continue on Trail A.

After continuing straight ahead at the next intersection, you'll come to the lookout access road. Cross the road and continue ahead on the aqua-blazed Long Path, which heads south, parallel to the cliffs. There is a good viewpoint over the river just to the left of the trail (use caution here, as there is a steep dropoff). Just beyond, the trail starts a steep descent on rock steps, built by the park in the early years of the twentieth century. Use extreme caution when descending these steps, as they are somewhat uneven. The steps can be particularly hazardous when wet or covered with leaves.

After crossing a small stream on a wooden footbridge, you'll reach a trail junction. The Long Path turns right, but you should bear left, now following the blue/white-blazed Forest View Trail. A sign indicates that it is 0.3 mile from this point to the Shore Trail, but the distance will probably seem much longer. The steep descent continues, first on more rock steps, then on switchbacks, some of which are well graded, but others are rocky and uneven.

You'll finally reach the bottom of the descent, marked by a large boulder. Here you should turn left and head north on the white-blazed Shore Trail. Soon, you'll emerge onto an open area covered with vines. Take a moment to contemplate this magnificent "sea of green."

A short distance beyond, you'll reach a field of jumbled boulders. This is the beginning of the Giant Stairs, the most challenging section of the hike. After taking in the panoramic view to the north along the river and over the striking Palisades cliffs, bear left and follow the white blazes as they begin to climb over the rocks. Pay careful attention to the white paint blazes, some of which are in the shape of a half-moon.

For the next half mile, the trail follows a rocky path about 100 vertical feet above the river. You’ll have to use care in deciding where to take each step. In about half an hour, the trail emerges onto a huge talus field, made up of large boulders that have fallen down from the cliffs above. This is the site of the massive rockslide that took place at 7:28 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, 2012, in which a large section of the cliff face broke off and tumbled down to the river. There are panoramic views across the river, and the lighter-faced rock column on the cliff indicates where the rock fell from.

At the end of the talus field, the trail reenters the woods. In about ten minutes, it comes out on another talus slope and then, after briefly passing through a wooded section, it emerges onto a third talus slope, marked by a huge tree stump. Again, you’re afforded a panoramic view over the river, and you’ll want to stop to rest from this difficult section of the hike and enjoy the view.

The trail now descends and eventually comes out close to the river level. You'll encounter one more rocky section, but this one is much easier to negotiate. After about a mile of walking on a relatively smooth footpath along the river, you'll go through a gate in a rusted chain-link fence. A short distance beyond, you'll reach the Peanut Leap Cascade. Adjacent to this waterfall, which is truly spectacular after heavy rains, are the ruins of the Italian Garden, built about 1900 by the sculptress Mary Lawrence-Tonetti, whose family owned an estate at nearby Sneden's Landing.

After spending some time at this interesting and beautiful spot, follow the white-blazed Shore Trail as it turns left, away from the river, and climbs on wooden steps and switchbacks. It parallels the stream leading to the waterfall for a short distance and soon ends at a junction with the aqua-blazed Long Path. Turn left onto the Long Path, which you will follow all the way back to the State Line Lookout.

The Long Path crosses the stream on two wooden bridges. A short distance ahead, it turns sharply right and begins a steep climb on stone steps. At the top of the climb is High Gutter Point, a panoramic viewpoint up and down the river. To the north, you can see the Tappan Zee Bridge and Hook Mountain, the northernmost point on the Palisades along the Hudson. You'll want to take a break here to rest from the steep climb and enjoy the view, but use caution, as the drop-off is very steep.

The trail continues ahead, passing several more viewpoints, then bears left, goes through a gate in a chain-link fence that marks the boundary between New York and New Jersey, and briefly parallels the fence. When the trail bears left, away from the fence, continue ahead for about 50 feet to see a stone monument, placed in 1882 to mark the state line.

Return to the aqua-blazed Long Path, which turns left just beyond the monument, then takes the left fork at the next intersection (along with Ski Trail E). It follows an old woods road for about half a mile to reach the Old Route 9W (a wide concrete road), then turns left along the road and follows it for a short distance back to the State Line Lookout, where the hike began.

Giant Stairs/Long Path Loop from State Line Lookout

This hike explores the northern end of the New Jersey Section of the Palisades Interstate Park. It is, perhaps, the most rewarding loop hike in the park, as it incorporates a number of scenic features and, for nearly the entire distance, you are far away from the noise of the Parkway. But it is also the most difficult hike in the park, as it involves not only steep climbs and descents on...

Prepare For Your Hike

Hike Checklist:

Whether you are going for a day hike or backpacking overnight, it is good practice to carry what we call The Hiking Essentials. These essentials will help you enjoy your outing more and will provide basic safety gear if needed. There may also be more essentials, depending on the season and your needs.

The Essentials

Hiking Shoes or Boots

Water - Two quarts per person is recommended in every season. Keep in mind that fluid loss is heightened in winter as well as summer. Don't put yourself in the position of having to end your hike early because you have run out of water.

Map - Know where you are and where you are going. Many of our hiking areas feature interconnecting network of trails. Use a waterproof/tear-resistant Tyvek Trail Conference map if available or enclose your map in a Ziplock plastic bag. If you have a mobile device, download Avenza’s free PDF Maps app and grab some GPS-enhanced Trail Conference maps (a backup Tyvek or paper version of the map is good to have just in case your batteries die or you don't have service). Check out some map-reading basics here.

Food - Snacks/lunch will keep you going as you burn energy walking or climbing. Nuts, seeds, and chocolate are favorites on the trail.

Sunscreen and insect repellent

Rain Gear and Extra Clothing - Rain happens. So does cold. Be prepared for changing weather. Avoid cotton--it traps water against your skin and is slow to dry. If you are wearing wet cotton and must return to your starting point, you risk getting chills that may lead to a dangerous hypothermia. Choose synthetic shirts, sweaters and/or vests and dress in layers for easy on and off.

Compass - A simple compass is all you need to orient you and your map to magnetic north.

Light - A flashlight or small, lightweight headlamp will be welcome gear if you find yourself still on the trail when darkness falls. Check the batteries before you start out and have extras in your pack.

First Aid Kit - Keep it simple, compact, and weatherproof. Know how to use the basic components.

Firestarter and Matches - In an emergency, you may need to keep yourself or someone else warm until help arrives. A firestarter (this could be as simple as leftover birthday candles that are kept inside a waterproof container) and matches (again, make sure to keep them in a waterproof container) could save a life.

Knife or Multi-tool - You may need to cut a piece of moleskin to put over a blister, repair a piece of broken equipment, or solve some other unexpected problem.

Emergency Numbers - Know the emergency numbers for the area you're going to and realize that in many locations--especially mountainous ones, your phone will not get reception.

Common Sense - Pay attention to your environment, your energy, and the condition of your companions. Has the weather turned rainy? Is daylight fading? Did you drink all your water? Did your companion fail to bring rain gear? Are you getting tired? Keep in mind that until you turn around you are (typically) only half-way to completing your hike--you must still get back to where you started from! (Exceptions are loop hikes.)

Check the weather forecast before you head out. Know the rules and regulations of the area.

Trip Reports

Daniel, thank you! It's absolutely wonderful that you've chained so many of these trails together into such great hikes and my partner and I greatly appreciate it!
A suggestion: Why not have the hike start 1/3 mile back up the road from the parking lot where the trail begins its descent? We've done this twice and both times I wondered what the value was of starting in the north west corner of the lot just to come out down the road anyway. Also this main part of the long trail is not only across the street but it's about two hundred yards north back towards the lot. I measured it as 1/3 mile from the lot entrance to the trail head.
For everyone else, we did it in 2:45 including 5 or more breaks of various duration and though we passed many we also got passed by another group!

SteveA

May 23, 2016

0

Old car chassis

I posed your question to Eric Nelsen, Historic Interpreter for the New Jersey Sectiion of the Palisades Interstate Park, and he responded as follows: "It’s one of those mysteries. I’ve never come across any record of an accident or crime that could account for it. My own theory is that it was probably a junker that some kids bought cheap just to roll down the hill and watch it crash."

Daniel Chazin

May 22, 2016

0

Where did this car chassis come from?

While hiking this trail we found the remnants of an old car chasis. Does anyone know how/when it got there?